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Monday, May 17, 2010

Life, in Spite of Me by Kristen Anderson

Life, in Spite of Me is Kristen's story of healing from a suicide attempt. It was no ordinary attempt either. She laid down on a railroad track and was run over by 33 freight cars on a speeding train. She should have naturally been sucked under the train, but she felt something holding her down. Later, she realized that force was the hand of God.

This book deeply ministered to my spirit. As I read how her struggles and battles loomed over her and God gently led her about, I was grateful to be reading it. I have my legs, but I have lost a lot of things in this life and I could identify with every word she said. Even in her struggle to learn to walk on prosthetics, God infused me with hope and courage.

The most frightening and poignant part of the story was when Kristen realized that she would have gone to hell if she had died and God saved her. She had been in church her whole life, but never accepted Jesus as her personal Saviour. Because of her discovery, God led her whole family into a relationship with Him. God can use the most overwhelming circumstances to draw others to Himself and bring glory to His name.

Find out more about Stephanie

In 2008, my husband and I sold our quaint house in the white picket fence suburbs and bought a one hundred year old, three story Antebellum style mansion in a run down area that needed to be restored. The house, while being our home, is used to offer free respite to people needing to be refreshed in their love for Jesus. We focus mainly on pastors, missionaries, and alcoholics. We like to think of ourselves as the L'Abri of the South. Beyond that, I am the wife of a worship pastor, a homeschool mom, and a huge enthusiast of culinary exploits and literature. I am learning God's grace through the spirit of hospitality.